Necktie



Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to four-in-hand neckties, and it has for an object to provide a. fourin-hand necktie which may be repeatedly washed or cleaned without loss of its shape or detraction from its appearance.

' Numerous proposals have heretofore been made of various ways of folding the goods and retaining the folds in the production of four-in-hand neckties, but a major objection not heretofore met so far as I am aware is that after washing or cleaning the necktie loses its shape. Also, the tie loses its attractive appearance because in pressing or ironing the folds become displaced as respects their original position, and the tie has a tendency to buckle or pop open as a result of the misplaced folds.

Furthermore, a tie must have body to hold its shape. In some cases this body is given by the use of a lining, while in other cases an attempt has been made to give the tie body by the use of numerous folds. But if a lining is used in a wash tie, the lining tends to become wrinkled and wadded in the process of washing or cleaning, which is highly objectionable, while if more than four folds or plies are used, the tie is likely to be excessive in weight and the additional weight of thep-lies extending to the lateral edges of the pattern tends to draw them obliquely, causing the tie to sag and bulge. This is due to the fact that the center of the face of the tie must be on a straight bias, while the free edge of the material forms an extreme oblique bias; therefore when the material is folded to form the tie, the folds most remote from the center of the face of the tie, because of their weight and the extreme oblique bias of the free edge, tend to sag while the tie is being worn.

It is an object of this invention to provide a four-in-hand necktie that is so constructed as to overcome the foregoing difficulties.

" Another object of this invention is to provide a four-in-hand necktie that is so constructed that it has the requisite body without such weight in the folds lateral to the face of the tie as to cause sagging or bulging.

Another object of this invention is to provide a four-in-hand necktie which is so constructed thatthe folds made when pressing or ironing the tie after it has been washed or cleaned may be readily located in their original positions so as to avoid the loss of shape and detraction in appearance incident to displaced folds.

Another object of this invention is to provide a four-in-hand necktie which is so constructed that the folds or plies are retained in their proper relationship without interfering with the facility with which the four-in-hand may be tied.

Other objects will appear as the description of the invention proceeds.

According to the present invention the tie is of the exposed portion or face, the material is folded to the rear of the face for substantially full width of the face. On the other side of the exposed portion or face, the material is folded rearwardlytwice with the double fold overlying the rearward foldat the opposite side of" the face, the fold adjacent the face in said double fold being nearly the width of the face of the tie while the remote fold, i. e., that adjacent the edge of the material, is something less than the fold adjacent the face. remote from the face in the direction of the oblique bias of the goods is the lightest, so that there is a minimum tendency to produce sagging because of the weight thereof, while requisite body is obtained by, two folds to the rear of the face of a width approximating or approaching the width of the face.

No stitching of the tie lengthwise thereof is employed except in that portion of the tie which is around the neck of the wearer, where a longitudinal stitch at each edge of the tie as folded is employed. The free ends of the material are suitably hemmed or felled.

To hold the folds at the edges in their proper position, in addition to the stitching at the neck portion, tabs, which may be of the same material as that of the tie, may be stitched to one of the folds or plies near the edge of the back of the tie and slipped through openings or slots made through another fold or ply. Any suitable number of tabs and slots may be used, one tab and slot being ordinarily sufficient at the small end of the tie and one or more, preferably three, being desirably employed at the large end of the tie.

For the purpose of locating the folds so that after washing or cleaning the folds may be made at their original locations, suitable marks, such as tacking or stitching, are used at the hemming at the free ends of the goods. These marks, together with the stitching at the central portion Hence the fold most of the tie, enable the folds to be made at precisely their original locations.

The invention is capable of receiving a variety of expressions, one of which is shown on the accompanying drawing, but it is to be expressly understood that the drawing is for purposes of illustration only, and is not to be construed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for a definition thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein the same reference characters are employed to show corresponding parts in the several figures:-

Fig. l is a rear view of the large end of a tie made in accordance with the present invention and showing the first of the two double folds made at one side of the goods;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view showing the large end of the tie after the fold at the opposite side thereof has been made; and

Fig. 3 is a corresponding View showing the large end of the tie in its final form after the second fold of the double fold has been completed, and also showing the tabs and slots in their final relationship.

In accordance with the present invention the material H] for the tie, which is preferably of washable material, although any suitable material may be used, is cut on the bias so as to leave at its ends two edges I l and I2 which are oblique to the length of the blank. The side edges l3 and i4 may be left raw or felled but they should be flat, while the end oblique edges are suitably hemmed or felled as indicated at l5 and I6. Then the material is folded so as to provide four folds or plies, the face or exposed portion being designated ply A, the lateral fold at one side thereof being designated as ply B and the double folds at the opposite side thereof being respectively designated ply C and ply D. Ply D is less in width than ply C, and may be relatively narrow with respect thereto, so long as it provides a folded edge at I! that assures that the raw edge l3 will be folded inwardly where it will not be exposed. Ply B is folded inwardly to provide the folded edge I8, the ply B being preferably of substantially the same width as the face of the tie or ply A as appears more clearly from Fig. 2. Ply C with its ply D is then folded in-- wardly and over ply B, providing the folded edge I9 as shown in Fig. 3, the raw edge M thereby being covered by the ply C throughout its length.

The opposite and smaller end of the tie is similarly folded, and then the central portion of the tie where it surrounds the neck of the wearer may be given any suitable stitching along the opposite edges thereof as indicated at 26.

Means are preferably provided for retaining the plies in their folded position, and to this end ply B has a plurality of tabs 2| suitably attached thereto as by stitching. As shown, three tabs are employed at the large end of the tie, although the number is not essential as a smaller or larger number of tabs may be used, while at the small end of the tie a single tab is ordinarily sufficient. The double ply CD is provided with a corresponding number of slots or openings 22 to receive said tabs. As shown, a pair of adjacent slots 22 are formed in the double ply CD, and if desired these slots may be surrounded with suitable stitching or buttonholing to prevent ravelling. As shown in Fig. 3, the tabs 2! may be passed through the slots 22 when the material is folded into its final shape, and experience has demonstrated that the friction between. the

tabs and material of the ply is such as to adequately retain the parts in position without substantially interfering with the ready tying therof.

To locate the folds so that after washing or cleaning they may be made at their original location, tacking, light stitching or other suitable marks as indicated at 23 are made at the extreme end of each fold. This stitching or tacking will not interfere with the proper washing or cleaning of the goods, but it assures that the fold may be made at its original location.

A tie constructed in conformity with this in vention has suflicient body to render a lining unnecessary. It does not have excess weight or folds that would give it bulkiness or cause it to draw or sag. It will retain its shape permanently, and therefore it may be washed or cleaned and ironed or pressed repeatedly without loss of its original shape or detraction from its appearance.

While the embodiment of the invention illustrated on the drawing has been described with considerable particularity, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not to be restricted thereto, as the same is capable of receiving a variety of expressions, some of which will now readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, whilecertain features of the invention may be used without other features, without departing from the spirit thereof. Reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A four-in-hand necktie composed of a piece of material folded to form four plies including a face ply, the material at one side of the face ply being folded to form a lateral ply extending substantially the full width at the rear of the face ply, the material at the other side of the face ply being twice folded rearwardly so as to provide a lateral ply and an edge ply, said last named lateral ply overlying said first named lateral ply and approximating the width of said face ply and said edge ply being of less width than said second named lateral ply and being covered by said second named lateral ply, whereby the raw edge of said first named lateral ply is covered by the double fold of the third and fourth plies and the raw edge of said edge ply lies between the two lateral plies, and indicating means at the free ends of the folds of said lateral plies for determining the location thereof.

2. A four-in-hand necktie composed of a piece of material folded to form four plies including a face ply, the material at one side of the face ply being folded to form a lateral ply extending substantially the full width at the rear of the face ply, the material at the other side of the face ply being twice folded rearwardly so as to provide a lateral ply and an edge ply, said last named lateral ply overlying said first named lateral ply and approximating the width of said face ply and said edge ply being of less width than said second named lateral ply and being covered by said second named lateral ply, whereby the raw edge of said first named lateral ply is covered by the double fold of the third and fourth plies and the raw edge of said edge ply lies between the two lateral plies, and means for retaining said plies in their folded relationship including one or more tabs on one of said plies passed into or through openings in another of said plies. l

3. A four-in-hand necktie composed of a piece of material folded so as to form four plies including a face ply, a lateral ply of substantially the same width as said face ply folded rearwardly into contact with said face ply, and two plies having an intermediate fold and folded rear- Wardly to overlie said second named ply, the ply of said doubly folded side which is adjacent the edge of the material being narrower than the other of said plies and being folded inwardly so as to lie between said second and third named plies, said plies being stitched together only at the neck portion of the tie, and means for retaining the plies in place including one or more tabs on one of said plies passed into or through openings in another of said plies.

4. A four-in-hand necktie composed of a piece of material folded'so as to form four plies including a face ply, a lateral ply of substantially the same width as said face ply folded rearwardly into contact with said face ply, and two plies having an intermediate fold and folded rearwardly to overlie said second named ply, the

ply of said doubly folded side which is adjacent the edge of the material being narrower than the other of said plies and being folded inwardly so as to lie between said second and third named plies, said plies being stitched together only at the neck portion of the tie, and stitching or tacking at the free ends of the folds of said lateral plies for determining the location thereof.

5. A four-in-hand necktie composed of a piece of washable material folded to form a plurality of plies including a face ply, the material at each side of the face ply being folded rearwardly of said face ply so as to form a lateral ply which lies behind said face ply, said plies adapted to be unfolded for washing, and tacking or stitching applied to said material at the free ends of the folds of the lateral plies for determining the location thereof when, after washing, said folds are to be reestablished.

PAUL MILES. 

